This weekend with a predicted NE wind, the mackerel fishing should still be good along the beaches! The techniques we are using to catch them are much the same and we have been covering that extensively for the last few weeks.

So I would like to cover another possibility along the beach reefs. Thanks to all the mackerel, sharks and barracuda, the area has been well chummed for the last month. Add a temperature drop in the Gulf and I start looking for keeper size gag grouper and large flounder to move in to the beach reefs. Most all baits will catch some gags and flounder, but my favorites are live pinfish and pigfish. I find I have a big edge if I catch fresh bait just before I go out instead of buying the ones that have been in the bait shop tank overnight. The grouper will be in the structure and the flounder will be on the sand around the structure. Any cobia if around, will be all over. Depending on the weather and size of fish, the tackle I use is twenty to fifty pound test line, 60 to 150 pound test mono leader. For grouper, I like to fish over the structure and let the bait straight down holding the bait just above, but not into the structure. I also lock the drag to keep the fish from pulling me into the rocks. If you hook a different fish that needs to run, you will then need to back-off on the drag. When fishing over sand bottom, you can let your bait sit on the bottom. Most of the time in thirty feet or a less, one once of lead works for me.

The bay has been active for a variety of fish - trout, redfish, snapper, flounder, mackerel and more. If windy, be ready to anchor or fish in the lee. Large live shrimp and baitfish or DOA artificial shrimp have all worked for me.